


Where you go, I go

by silvermoongirl10



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Episode: s04e21 Kind of a Crazy Idea, Episode: s04e22 Where the Collapse Started, Episode: s05e16 Telling Her Goodbye, Episode: s06e15 The Chance to Forgive, Episode: s06e19 Where I Want to Be, Family, Firehouse 51 as Family (Chicago Fire), Friendship, Hostage Situation, Hurt Otis, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Joe Cruz
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 18:18:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21058853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvermoongirl10/pseuds/silvermoongirl10
Summary: Four times Joe was worried and supported his best friend and brother Otis and one time Otis did the same for Joe. All the chapters are based on episodes.





	1. Chapter 1 - 4x21 and 4x22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Otis' Idiopathic thrombocytopenic (ITP) diagnosis, he is struggling with thoughts that he is easily replaced. Initially, Joe doesn't help, but with Cindy Herrmann's help, he's able to help his best friend and brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first story in a very long time. So hopefully its not terrible. I have finally gotten back into watching Chicago Fire so I had this idea floating around for a while. Enjoy! Lines from 4x21 are in italics.

The apartment door opened and closed quietly, so quiet, it was like the person entering the apartment did not want to be seen or heard. Joe frowned, that wasn’t the way Otis normally entered the apartment. For a moment he wondered if Otis’ fear was true, and that he was going to lose his spot on eighty-one and have to move Houses. He shook his head, that was impossible, there was no way that Boden and Casey would allow Otis to lose his position on eighty-one while on medical leave, it just wasn’t them. He turned his head to watch as Otis walked into the apartment undoing is bow-tie, his face crestfallen.

“Otis, buddy, are you okay?” Joe asked,

Otis startled as if he had not seen Joe, he shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look it,” stated Joe, rising to his feet and looking his friend and roommate in the eye. Otis just shrugged and went to walk past Joe to his room. Joe caught his arm gently and turned Otis to face him. “Seriously, I know something is wrong and you’re worrying me.”

“It’s nothing,” sniped Otis, taking his arm back forcefully. “Why are you worrying anyway? I bet you all had a great time at Molly’s laughing about my evening with Connie. Not like any of you were worried you were losing your spots at fifty-one.”

“That was just a joke! And we didn’t know that you would arrange tickets for Connie!” Defended Joe, as he held his arms up in surrender.

Otis shook his head and glared at Joe. “Oh sorry. My mistake. I should have known it was joke by all the comments you were all saying about how great my _replacement_ was.” Otis took a step forward towards Joe and then stepped back in defeat. “I mean, how could I compare to him? He was much taller and stronger than me, what can I bring to eighty-one that he can’t? Nothing.” With that, Otis turned and started to walk to his room before Joe could say anything in reply.

Joe slumped back onto the couch and sighed. He hadn’t thought about how Otis would respond to the joke, but in hindsight, he should have known that Otis would react badly. His whole life, Otis had been compared to his older brothers and this comparison worsened for Otis the moment he became a firefighter. Due to the comparisons to Vlad and Dimitri, Otis had suffered from a lack of confidence for years, and to have his friends commenting on how great his replacement was, even if that replacement was only temporary. Then how would Otis know that his family at fifty-one would not have him transferred anywhere? That they were only joking? All his life, Otis had never felt good enough, and this was just another comparison he couldn’t live up to in his mind. So, with a determined nod to himself, Joe decided that he was going to show Otis how loved he was at fifty-one and how much everyone wanted him back in the drivers’ seat of eighty-one.

* * *

Joe soon realised that his plan was easier said than done. Even when Otis’ medical leave was over and he was back on shift. Otis kept to himself for the two days between shifts. He refused to go to Molly’s, he barely left his room and didn’t say much to Joe. As Joe racked his brains on how he could help Otis, he remembered the days after Otis got his diagnosis from Will. For a while, Otis wandered around the apartment as if in a daze, not too dissimilar to his behaviour now, and after he notified Chief about needing to be on medical leave his spirit seemed to pick up. Although, whatever was said in that meeting had Joe worried at the time, he knew Otis, knew him very well, and despite others seeing him slightly disheartened. Joe knew he had been upset and crying in Chief’s office. It had worried him because he was on shift, he couldn’t keep an eye on Otis once he left. However, he came home the next day to see Otis throwing out their junk food, his spirit revived.

_“I’m not going to take this thing lying down Cruz. I’m gonna beat this thing.”_

_“Well, I’m right there with you Otis. We’re gonna beat this thing together.”_

They did beat it together, but then Joe had to join in the joke, not realising its implications at the time. So now, he had to figure out how to revive Otis’ spirit again.

He was sat at the Squad table, staring off into the distance, wondering how he could make it up to Otis. Granted he hadn’t played a big part in the joke, like Herrmann, Mouch, Stella and Casey, but he’d still taken part. He jumped when someone stopped in front of him. He looked up to find Cindy looking down at him in concern.

“Joe are you okay? You look upset,” said Cindy, she put down her shopping bag and sat in the empty seat beside him.

“It’s about Otis,” he softly replied.

Cindy reached across the table to hold his hand, “But he’s better now isn’t he? Christopher said he was back on shift.”

Joe hung his head and then told her everything.

* * *

Joe was scared. Very scared. And he wasn’t even a target of angry Cindy Herrmann. She was on a warpath and her first victims were Herrmann and Mouch. She pulled them into the briefing room. Joe caught Otis looking confused and gestured for Otis to come and watch, he hesitated but Joe waved more vigorously and even propped the door open a little. Curiosity got the better of Otis and he walked down the corridor towards the briefing room door. They both leaned in to listen to Cindy.

“…Aw Cindy it was just a joke!” protested Herrmann.

“Just a joke Christopher?” snapped Cindy, “Poor Otis was on medical leave, coming to visit you all because he was stuck at his and Joe’s apartment alone, and you had the audacity to joke about him getting _replaced_?!”

“We joke around with each other all the time!” countered Herrmann, his voice getting louder. Mouch was stood like a deer caught in headlights, flickering his eyes from Herrmann to Cindy.

“Well this, _Christopher_, crossed the line. Otis was unsure of when he could return to work and you acted as if you wouldn’t care if he was transferred!”

“Of course, I would care! I watched him grow from a Candidate to driver of eighty-one, he was put on mine and Mouch’s hips! We trained him! He’s a damn great firefighter! Do you _really think_ we would want to see him _go_?!”

Joe turned to see Otis looking at Herrmann with wide eyes and a smile on his face. Feeling eyes watching him, Otis turned to Joe and said, “You should have warned me this was happening. I would have brought popcorn.”

Joe snorted in amusement and then they turned back to the action in the briefing room.

Cindy drew herself up to her full height and glared at Herrmann. “Well, consider how Otis must have felt. He probably thought you did want to see him gone. I heard what you had been saying about his replacement in front of him.”

Mouch began to slink sideways towards the door that led to the common room, he froze when Cindy’s glare landed on him. “Randall McHolland. You are not going anywhere; I have not finished yet.”

“Oh God…” murmured Mouch.

Joe and Otis snorted into their hands in a bid not to be seen or heard.

“I am very disappointed and you both need to apologise to Otis. Now.” Snapped Cindy, she turned and saw Joe and Otis. Her angry expression melted away into a motherly smile, she beckoned them into the room. “Ah Otis, perfect timing. These two have something they need to say.”

Joe looked at Herrmann and Mouch who both rubbed the backs of their heads.

“I’m really sorry Otis. I didn’t think about how it would all sound to you,” said Mouch, he walked forward and briefly hugged Otis. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay Mouch,” smiled Otis as he returned the hug.

Mouch stepped to the side and then Herrmann looked up at Otis and smiled. “I’m sorry as well kid. Sometimes I open my big mouth before I think and trust me when I say, there is no way on this earth that I would _ever_ want to see you transferred out of here okay? I’m really sorry.”

Otis was nearly knocked flying by the force of the hug he received from Herrmann. “Got it Herrmann,” chuckled Otis.

Cindy rubbed her hands together. “Excellent. Now excuse me while I go and find Matthew and Stella for a chat.” With that Cindy bustled out of the room and out of sight.

“God help them,” said Herrmann as he and Mouch headed out into the common room.

Joe turned to Otis and brought his friend into a crushing hug. “I’m sorry to brother. I knew what was going on and I only joined in. I shouldn’t have. I also shouldn’t have let you think for a second that you were going to be transferred. Where you go, I go.”

Otis hugged Joe back fiercely. “It’s okay Joe, you didn’t say much and I over reacted.”

Joe pushed Otis back to look him in the eye. “You did not over react. You were on an unknown timeline of returning to work and you were upset. Just accept the apologises!”

Otis nodded and smiled, “Okay.” He hugged Joe again and murmured “I love you brother.”

“Love you to,” smiled Joe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted someone to apologise to Otis for the joke, you could see he was taking them seriously and thought he was going to be transferred. I also love Cindy Herrmann she is a gift, and any scene/episode she is in I love it!


	2. Chapter 2 - 5x16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe is worried for Otis when fifty-one is taken hostage, to make matters worse, Otis is taken to save one of the gang members. He's out of Joe's sight and Joe has no way of knowing if Otis is okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again all quotes are in italics.

As the civilian workers got pushed into the common room, Joe cast a look to his side to see Otis turning his head to keep looking down to avoid eye contact with the two gang members. He gently patted Otis’ knee, the only form of comfort he could give, as Herrmann and Mouch were threatened to keep quiet.

There was a tense few minutes with everyone sat in silence, but the tentative peace was broken when the apparatus floor doors began to open. Everyone jolted up in their seats, knowing it meant sixty-one was returning to the House. They were all stood waiting, Otis flinched forwards hearing the gunshot, not knowing who was shot. Joe flung out his arm to stop Otis from moving any further forward, not wanting Otis to rush in and get caught in the cross fire.

They were all ordered back as Severide and a wounded Casey were pulled back into the common room. The two paramedics were missing, Joe breathed a sigh of relief knowing that meant Casey was able to stop them from entering the House. Casey was pushed towards the bunk room where Stella was trying to keep one of the gang members alive. Everyone else was ordered to sit back down.

“Hey, its going to be alright Otis,” he murmured to Otis, who, to anyone else would appear calm, but not Joe. He knew Otis was trying his hardest to hide how shaken up he was.

“Uh huh,” whispered Otis, his eyes yet again trained on the ground. Joe moved so his shoulder was leaning against Otis’. Running into buildings was one thing, but this hostage situation was unlike anything any of them had had to deal with before. With the cops outside, the tense atmosphere went up another notch.

The sirens outside meant safety, but nobody felt safe inside fifty-one. Joe looked on as Herrmann and Mouch were yet again ordered to be quiet, he began to worry about Herrmann, wondering if Mouch was right and there was something wrong with Herrmann. Otis sat at the table, his head resting on one hand, as he turned his head slightly from side to side.

“Hey,” Joe turned hearing Severide’s whisper. “That lunatic is back there with Kidd. Second there’s a distraction, I need you to cover for me.”

“Yeah I got you,” he responded nodding. His eyes were still trained forward, anyway he could help he would do it. The lunatic, as Severide called him, was a loose cannon and anyone could be hurt by him. He’d already shot Casey. He was just glad Otis was far away from him.

Joe was beginning to get angry, as Boden yet again urged the leader, Turk, to pick up the phone. He was beginning to think that they would need to take action to get themselves out, because the cops wouldn’t come storming in because of the risk of a shootout and innocent people getting shot. At least, not yet. If the hostage situation continued. That might be the cops’ last option to end it.

And then, to make matters worse.

_“Hey! Who else knows how to treat a gunshot?”_ called out Turk.

_“Why? What happened?”_ asked Severide, like the rest of them, knowing Stella was supposed to be treating the other one.

_“Man, I’m asking the questions alright?”_ snapped Turk.

Then Otis just had to open his mouth with, _“we all know basic life support.”_ Joe could have hit him for saying that. His heart began to pound when Turk stepped closer.

_“Good. Then you’re up,”_ Turk said while pointing a gun at Otis.

Fury began to boil through Joe’s veins. No way. There was no way on earth he was going to let Otis anywhere near the lunatic who had obviously done something to Stella. Thankfully, Boden jumped in before Joe could say anything and possibly make things worse in his anger.

_“He doesn’t have the training.”_ Joe breathed a sigh of relief, until Boden added. _“But we have two paramedics in the field who can walk him through it.”_

**_Oh no. Chief don’t let them take Otis. Please don’t!_** Thought Joe, his eyes flickering between Boden and Otis. Before he could do anything, Otis was grabbed and forcefully pulled to his feet, his chair scraping back violently with a loud screech. He was pushed towards the kid called JB, and then pushed out of Joe’s sight with a gun pointed at his back. Joe clenched his hands into fists, it took everything he had not to protest and just grab Otis back. Boden met his gaze and without a word passed between them, Joe knew that Boden hadn’t wanted to send Otis, but as soon as Otis had talked Turk was going to make him go. Better Boden had got the gang to agree to Otis talking with the paramedics, than Otis flying blind with the lunatic near him. However, it didn’t mean that Joe was okay with having Otis out of his sight.

He turned feeling a hand grasp his shoulder. “It’ll be okay Joe, trust me,” commented Severide in a whisper. Joe nodded, with nothing else to do, he prayed and prayed that everyone would come out of this safe and sound.

* * *

What felt like hours, but was probably ten minutes at the most, later. Joe was resting his head on his hand, staring at the ground. **_Please let Otis be okay, please don’t let that lunatic do anything to him, please!_**

Turk’s pacing got more intense. He marched back into the corridor with his arms raised up_. “What the hell is going on down there?!”_

Joe turned and nodded at Severide, he got to his feet and did his best to hide Severide from view. Knowing he was the best chance Stella had and hopefully he’d be able to help Otis and Casey. He sat back down as the door into the boardroom closed with a quiet snip. Turk turned and glared at him. “What do you think _you’re_ doing?”

“Just stretching my legs,” replied Joe with his hands raised as he sat back down.

“Don’t do that again, you hear?” snapped Turk, Joe only nodded. Glad that he didn’t seem aware that Severide was missing.

Just as Joe began to relax, he heard running footsteps coming along the corridor. One of the gang members ran past Boden, ignoring his question of, _“what’s going on back there?”_

He went straight to Turk, _“Akeil is breathing again.”_

_“Yeah?”_

Just as Joe breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that, at least for now, Otis was alive and safe. But then everything went downhill and fast.

Herrmann was on the ground having a heartache and wasn’t going to be allowed to leave. So Joe found himself standing up with his arms raised. _“Let him go and I’ll get you out of here.”_ Just so long as everyone else at fifty-one would be safe, Joe would willing get in Squad three and drive the gang out of there. His family mattered more to him in that moment, although he knew if Otis ever found out he was offering this, his brother would never let him hear the end of it.

Boden walked up to him, _“Cruz. You don’t need to do this.”_

_“Yeah I do Chief,”_ Joe replied, he knew that it was the only way any of them were going to get out without the gang firing bullets everywhere.

* * *

After the showdown next to Squad three, with the kid JB on the way to the hospital, as well as the other gang member. Joe hated to see Chief with a gun pointed at his head, but at least Chief and JB had ended the situation.

They all watched as sixty-one left on its way to the hospital. They slowly started to walk back into the House.

Joe slung his arm around Otis’ shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Nothing happened,” shrugged Otis.

Joe pulled Otis to a stop. “Nothing happened? _Nothing happened?_ That lunatic was pointing his gun at you!”

Otis turned and faced him with a knowing look, “Okay. Yes. Having a gun pointed at me was worrying, but having Dawson on the phone telling me what to do, seemed to calm the situation. Like they believed that I wasn’t going to kill him, unlike with Kidd.”

Joe shook his head, thinking how ironic that Kidd was suspected of trying to kill the gang member, but that guy had been a lunatic. It was very satisfying to see him led out of the House in cuffs, with a bruise on his head from where Stella had pistol whipped him. Thinking of how close it came to the lunatic also injuring Otis in some way made Joe’s blood boil. Otis was his brother and he hated the thought of anyone hurting him.

He brought Otis in for a crushing hug, “I’m just so glad that you’re okay. I don’t know what I would have done if they had hurt you.”

Otis smiled, “Same here. Don’t think I didn’t hear about you volunteering to drive the gang out in Squad three though.”

“We’re not talking about me,” responded Joe with a shake of his head. As they continued into the House he shook Otis’ shoulder. “Don’t think I’m forgetting you opening your big mouth and being taken to save that guy’s life by the way. You scared me to death!”

Otis just chuckled as he shook his head, “I love you to brother.”

“You’re such a pain to look after,” sighed Joe good naturedly, “but yes. I love you brother.”


	3. Chapter 3 - 6x15 to 6x19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otis is pushing himself to pass the physical so he can get back on truck eighty-one, but his body is not healing fast enough for him. Joe wants everything back to normal, but knows Otis needs time to heal after getting shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not set in a particular episode, just after Otis was shot in 6x15 and his struggle to get back to truck during Cordova’s time on eighty-one. This is set somewhere between 6x15 and 6x19, so I have not used direct quotes in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

Joe was trying to watch the TV but if asked, he would not be able to say what exactly he was watching. He was watching Otis with concern. He watched as his best friend completed his physio exercises for the third time that day, he winced when he saw Otis turn to complete another short walk across the apartment without his walking stick. He could see that Otis was visibly tired, but was continuing to push himself. Yet again. Just as he had been doing for the past two weeks. When it looked like Otis was going to complete another walk across the apartment, Joe hastily got to his feet and stepped in front of Otis.

“Hey brother, don’t you think its time you gave yourself a rest? Its like the third time today that you’ve been doing your exercises. And you’ve been doing more each time than the Doctors told you to do,” commented Joe with his hands held up in surrender, in the hopes that Otis would see that he only had his best interests at heart.

Otis frowned at him, “Well I’ve got to improve. That means I’ve got to do more. _Especially_ if I want to get better enough to get back onto truck. I don’t want to be permanently replaced.”

“Woah! Who said anything about you getting replaced?” exclaimed Joe. If someone had hinted at Otis about not coming back, he was going to be knocking some heads around. Especially after the riot act Cindy Herrmann read to truck after joking Otis was being replaced the last time he was on medical leave.

Otis shrugged the best he could while leaning against the wall. “Well last time I was off. Everyone on truck said my replacement was great and I’ve been off longer this time. So maybe eighty-one won’t want me back.” Otis did well to hide his anxiety at the thought of not making it back to eighty-one, but Joe knew him very well, and for him, Otis’ fear was plain as day.

He reached out one hand and rested it gently on Otis’ shoulder. “That. Is _never_ going to happen.”

“But you don’t know that!” protested Otis. His voice broke on the last word and he looked down at his feet.

Joe brought Otis in for a hug and squeezed his brother close to him. “I just want you to be healthy. That means you can’t rush your recovery.”

Otis pulled away from the hug sharply. He grabbed his walking stick and as he began to storm as fast as he could away from Joe, he looked back over his shoulder and snapped, “that’s easy for you to say. _You_ are still at fifty-one. _You _aren’t facing losing your place.”

Joe’s heart broke as he watched his brother walk towards his bedroom. The door slammed shut and Joe sank back down onto the couch. He rested his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. He wished with all his heart he was able to trade places with Otis. It wasn’t fair on his brother, just two years ago Otis was struggling to get back to fifty-one after his diagnosis. Now this.

* * *

The next day, Joe started his shift in a bad mood. Otis had not left his bedroom before Joe and Sylvie left the apartment. Sylvie had patted his shoulder, “he’ll be okay.” Joe had nodded, but he wasn’t so sure. From what he had heard in the house, Cordova was very persistent and adamant that he would be turning his temporary spot on eighty-one into a permanent one.

Cordova seemed nice enough, but Joe kept himself away from the guy. He was the living embodiment of Otis’ fear of never getting to return to eighty-one. And that was grounds enough for Joe to have nothing to do with the guy. Nobody hurt or threatened his brother.

Then to top it all off. When Otis came in to work in the office, Joe’s stomach plummeted seeing the despondent look on his best friend’s face. He followed Otis to the office and sat down on the edge of the desk Otis had been using. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t pass the physical,” murmured Otis. His eyes were bright, showing the unshed tears he was trying to hold back. Joe moved so he was sitting in the chair beside Otis’ and pulled Otis in for a hug. “I guess I was over doing it. But I just wanted to get back on truck _so bad_.”

“Hey, I know you do. And you _will_. I refuse to believe anything else.” Joe tightened his grip, ashamed that he hadn’t realised that Otis had hidden his physical from him. “You’ve just got to take it a little easier. You were _shot_ in the _neck_. It takes time to heal from these things.”

Otis’ shoulders shook as he quietly sobbed. “I just want things to get back to normal.”

“I do to buddy, I do to.” Joe quietly murmured as he rubbed a hand up and down Otis’ back. He looked over Otis’ shoulder and saw Boden looking at them in sadness. Joe just hoped and prayed that the CFD would give Otis longer to pass a physical, to get him back onto truck. Apart from the two stints at Morningside, Otis had spent his entire career as a firefighter at fifty-one. The house would never be the same without him.

* * *

Word soon spread about Otis’ physical, Herrmann was clearly avoiding Cordova now, which was probably for the best. Herrmann was one wrong comment away from punching Cordova again. Joe wanted to spend the rest of shift with Otis, but squad were called out to assist a truck company from another house. When they got back an hour later, Severide nodded towards the office, a clear okay to spend whatever time they were not on a call with Otis. Joe nodded his thanks and hustled himself towards the office area. He paused in the doorway to smile. Sat clustered around Otis and his desk was Mouch, Herrmann, Kidd and Casey. The four of them were passing around stories. Joe had arrived in time for Casey, Herrmann and Mouch to explain to Kidd how Otis ended up with his nickname.

“Wait,” grinned Kidd, “Otis _isn’t _your real name?”

“Ha ha,” snarked Otis, “No it is not. As I have explained _countless _times my name is Brian. Even if I am okay with being called Otis now. I do want it on the record that my _real name_ is Brian.”

“Its on the record, trust me._ Otis_.” Smiled Casey. “Trust me. I have seen it on your personnel file.”

Mouch soon launched into another story. Joe remained stood by the door watching, with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. He turned feeling another presence by his side, Severide stood beside him also watching the truck group smiling and laughing.

“Glad Otis is looking better,” commented Severide.

Joe nodded, “It’s a weight off my shoulders. I’ve been really worried about him. Today more so.”

Severide gently knocked their shoulders together. “Well take some of that weight off your shoulders.” He nodded his head in the direction of the group they were watching, just as the group burst into laughter. Casey almost falling off the desk as he leaned back holding his sides, which set Otis off laughing even harder and leaning to the side which sent his chair spinning around leaving his back to the others. “Truck are going to make sure Otis is okay. Casey wouldn’t have it any other way. Otis is special.” At Joe’s questioning look, Severide smiled and continued. “Otis was the first Candidate Casey trained as a Lieutenant. That makes him special. Also, eighty-one is special to Casey, they’re close friends and family. That matters to Casey.”

Joe nodded, “Very true.” He remembered working on truck, and how Casey would ensure the company became a tight-knit group.

Severide’s shone with amusement as he grinned, “Also I think Casey is scared to death of getting another angry lecture from Cindy about teasing Otis.”

Joe snorted in amusement, looking at Otis smiling as he was surrounded by truck. “Maybe now Otis will believe me when I say fifty-one doesn’t want him going anywhere.”

Severide’s eyes glinted with determination, “Otis is not going anywhere. Between Chief, Casey and I. We’ll make sure Headquarters gives him time to heal and pass the physical when his body has healed enough.”

“Thanks Lieutenant,” smiled Joe, while also breathing a sigh of relief at Severide’s omission that the officers were working to ensure Otis returned to the driver’s seat of eighty-one. Both he and Severide turned back to the group and watched them laugh and joke with smiles on their faces.

* * *

**A few weeks later**

Joe woke up with a wide smile on his face. Today was the day. Finally, after weeks of stress and uncertainty, Otis was heading back to fifty-one. Joe made sure he was up earlier than normal so he could cook a celebratory dinner. He just started to get the ingredients out for Otis’ favourite pancakes, when he jumped. He turned and found Sylvie heading into the kitchen. “Guess we both had the same idea huh?” she grinned.

“Guess so,” responded Joe, also with a wide grin on his face.

The three roommates ate breakfast together, laughing and joking. Otis had thanked them for making breakfast. “You guys didn’t have to do that,” he said as they walked out of their front door.

“Of course, we did!” protested Sylvie.

“Yeah brother,” added Joe as he pulled Otis into his side so he could give a one-armed side hug. “What kind of roommates would we be if we didn’t celebrate your return to eighty-one?”

Otis rolled his eyes, “We celebrated _last night_ by going out for dinner.”

Sylvie turned to face them, she held her arms up and exclaimed, “Well today is a big big day! One that _needs_ to be celebrated!”

“But-”

Joe shook his head, “Don’t argue this Otis. We _want _to celebrate.” He tightened his hug. “You mean a lot to us, and today means a lot to you. So, we are going to be celebrating as long as Sylvie and I deem fit!”

Otis pulled them to a stop, he smiled his shy smile and then hugged Joe with both arms tightly. “Thank you, Joe.”

Joe squeezed Otis tightly, thinking of how easily the bullet could have ended either Otis’ career or killed him. “Always remember what you mean to me brother. I’d do anything for you.” With one more squeeze, they ended the hug and met a grinning Sylvie at the car. Today things were finally going back to normal, just the way they should be.


End file.
